mokenzie



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Y .J. S. MOKENZIE.

ORANGE SIZBR AND BIN. I I N0. 352,421. Patented NOV. 9, 1886. r

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' J. S. MCKENZIE.

ORANGE SIZER AND BIN.

No. 352,421. I Patented Nov. 9, 1886.

N PEIERS, Pholo-Lflhognpher, Washington D. C.

NIreD STATES PATENT 'FFICE.

JAMES S. MCKENZIE,

OF FRUITLAND, FLORIDA.

ORANGE SIZER AND BIN.

EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 352,421, dated November 7 Serial No.199,761.

Application filed April 22, 1886.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Janus S. MCKENZIE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Fruitland, county of Putnam, State of Florida, have invented new and useful Improvements in Orange Sizers and Bins, of which the following is a full and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top View or plan of my machine. Fig. 2 is' a side elevation of the sizer and bins connected therewith, together with a vertical longitudinal section of the receiving and delivery bins, and the trough connecting the latter with the tray of the sizer. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the receiving and delivery bins. Fig. 4 is a front view of same. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section of the sizer and its frame, a bin, and also one of the assorting-boxes. Fig. 6 is an enlarged section of the sizer or gage-plate,and of a flexible tube connected with one of the apertures thereof.

The invention relates to a machine composed of a series of bins for containing oranges or other spherical fruit, and to means connected therewith for transferring, sizing, and assorting thesaid fruit, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

The letter A designates a f: ame,witl1in which is supported a receiving box or bin, B, from which the fruit is transferred in any desired manner to an upper box or delivery-bin, G, which is supported at an incline by reason of the front of the frame being madesomewhat higher than the rear thereof.

In order to insure a forward movement of the fruit contained in the bin 0, its front end is adapted to be elevated above the frame by means of a pair of elevating-screws, d d,which are adapted to operate in scre'wsockets formed in the front cross-timber, e.

The rear or lower end of the bin 0 is provided with a pair of doors, ff, having a connecting-cord, h, arranged to operate over a pair of intermediate friction-pulleysfl i. The movement of these doors is controlled by means of a rod or rope, 70, one end of which is connected with the center of thecord h, so that by pulling the same the doors will be made to close, the weight of the fruit within the bin (No model.)

causing the doors to be opened the moment the rod or rope k is released from pressure.

To prevent accumulations of fruit in the lower corners of the bin 0, as Well as to insure the movement of the same toward the deliverydoors thereof, each side of the bin is provided with slides Z Z, having hinged sections m m, the outer ends of which are hinged to the sides of the bin, as shown at m m, thus adapting the slides to operate as if hung on ordinary double hinges.

The lower ends of the slides Z Z operate against the lower end of the bin, and are drawn inward, when necessary to guide the fruit to the discharge-doors,by means of apair of cords, 0 0, which are connected therewith and arranged to operate over a pair of frictionpulleys, p p, journaled at the sides of the discharge-doors, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

To prevent the fruit from coming in contact with or lodging behind the hinged portions of the slides, guards n n are secured tr the sides of the bin, as shown in Fig. 1.

The fruit is discharged through the doors of the bin G into the trough R, the lower end of which is connected with a tray, S, secured on top of the Sizer-frame, and which should be provided with an open side to allow the fruit to pass freely therein. is the sizer or gage-plate T, having a series of holes of different diameters, so as to correctly gage the fruit operated upon. Beneath the level of the tray and sizing-plate are a series of compartments or bins, t H t t, each provided with a separate conduit from one of the holes in the gage-plate, by which the different sizes of oranges or fruit are rapidly and effectually separated. The bottoms of the bins H t. t t are somewhat inclined, as shown in Fig. 5, for the purpose of conveying the fruit toward the sides thereof, from whence it is readily removed to boxes or bins u u u 11/ u below the same, or to the assorting-boxes W at the side thereof.

To expedite the counting of the fruit, each box or bin is made to contain a certain number of given-sized oranges or other fruit, and the assorting-boxes are made to hold exactly the same quantity as a standard or trade box.

To each bin at u u u 15 there are three At one side of the tray assorting-boxes, and these are filled by an at-- tendant standing between the bins and boxes, and whose duty it is to separate the difl'erent qualities beforewrapping the same in paper and packing in the boxes. He is to place the bright and nice-looking oranges in one box, the halfrusset in the next, and the russet inthe third. The fruit removed from the same bin is of course all equal in size.

To prevent bruising or otherwise injuring the fruit in its passage through the sizer or gage-plate to the bin-conduits, each hole insaid plate is provided with a flexible tube, a, which 'is held in position by means of a mouth ring, b, and fastening-screw, c, as shown in Fig. 6.

Having described my invention, what I :laim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of an inclined bin havng discharge-doors at the lower end thereof, trough, a tray, and a sizer or gage-plate ormed with holes, as described, with a series f bins provided with conduits for receiving he different sizes of fruit as they are dropped hrough the holes of the sizer or gage-plate, ubstantially as set forth.

2. In combination with asizerorgage-plate nd a trough leading thereto, a delivery-bin provided with doors at one end thereof for communicating with the trough, a. frame supporting the delivery-bin, and elevating-screws for holding said bin at any desired inclination, substantially as set forth.

3. In combinationwith asize'r or gage-plate and a trough leading thereto, the delivery-bin 0, provided with doors communicating with the trough, and slidesl 1, having hinged sections hinged to the inner sides of the bin, and the cords o 0, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In combination with asizer orgage plate formed with holes, a series of bins provided with conduits leading from the difi'erentholes, and a trough leading to the sizer, and a bin connected with the opposite end of the trough, said bin being held at an incline, and provided with the discharge-doors at its lower end, and slides 11, having hinged sections hinged to the inner sides of the bin, and the guardsn n, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

'JAS. S. MoKENZIE.

Witnesses:

J. H. GREEN, S. R. CAUSEY. 

